Folding car-step.



. G. F. BRANDAU.

FOLDING GAR STEP. APPLIGATION FILED APR.26, 1909.

989,970. Patented Nov. 16, 1909.

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:UNITED STATES PATENT OFFTCE.

GEORGE F. BRANDAU, OF UTICA, NEW YORK.

FOLDING CAR-STEP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 26, 1909.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE F. BRANDAU, a citizen of the United States,residing at Utica, in the county of Oneida and State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Folding Car-Steps; and Ido hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invent-ion, such as will enable othersskilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings and to the characters of reference markedthereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in foldingcar steps and it has for its object the provision of a folding lower carstep adapted to be normally held in a folded position and to beautomatically thrown into position for use upon the opening of the cardoor.

To this end and to such others as the invention may pertain, the sameconsists in the novel construction, peculiar arrangement, combinationand adaptation of parts, all as will be more hereinafter fully describedand then specifically defined in the appended claims.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings which, withthe letters of reference marked thereon, form a part of thisspecification and in which Figure l is a side view of one end of avestibule passenger coach with my invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is asectional view taken through the vestibule of the car. Fig. 3 is adetail perspective view of the inside of the car door and connections,the same being shown in closed position. Fig. el is a vertical sectionupon line -l of Fig. l, the parts being shown in full lines in theposition they assume when the step is folded and in dotted lines in t-heposition occupied by the parts when the step is in use, and Fig. 5 is asection upon line 5-5 of Fig. l.

Reference now being had to the details of the drawings by letter, Adesignates a car body and B the vestibule provided with the door C andsteps D.

E is a metallic plate or shutter hinged at one of its ends to theplatform of the car in the rear of the door, as shown, said shutterbeing so positioned that, when lowered to the position shown in thedrawings, covers the space immediately over the steps.

F is a folding step which, at its rear edge,

Serial No. 492,390.

is connected with the riser F, the step proper being made of heaviermaterial than the riser, so as to cause the step to drop into positionfor use automatically when released. Said step F is pivotally connectedat its rear edge to a shaft F 2 extending longiextended end is one endof the crank arm F4,

to the outer or free end of which crank arm is pivotally connected oneend of a. curved rod F, which rod is extended upward through the carplatform and is bent at rightangles to form the horizontal arm F 6,which arm, when the car step is in a folded position, rests within agroove in the platform provided for its reception. The shutter E, itwill be noted, when in a closed position rests directly upon the arm F Gand serves to hold the same in the position which it assumes when thestep is in its folded position. In order to limit the downward or outerthrow of the step, the ends of the back or riser portion F are adaptedto contact with the rear edges of the bracket members F3.

G is a shutter vertically movable within a space or guideway providedupon the inner face of the car door. A knob or handle G connected withthe shutter at a point adjacent to its upper edge is adapted, when movedvertically within a guideway G2 provided for its reception, to serve asa means for raising the slide, the slide being adapted to fall bygravity into the position shown in Figs. 2 and 4L of the drawings and,when in this position, serves to close the opening occupied by the carsteps.

H is an angle lever, consisting of the downwardly curved body portionH', the free end of which is positioned directly beneath the knob orhandle G connected with the shutter G, the said lever being pivoted, atits angle near the upper end thereof, to a suitable pivot extending fromthe inner face of the door and the free end H2 of said lever is providedwith a suitable operating handle H3.

From the foregoing description, the operation of the step will be atonce under- Patented Nov. 16, 1909.

stood. YWhen it is desired to lower the step for use, it is doneautomatically by the rais-Y ing of the shutter E. This raising of theshutter E releases the upper end of the handle H3 upward, said shutterbeing raised,

thus permitting the door to be thrown inward to an open position.

It will be noted that, upon the closing of the door, the shutter G willpawl into position to close the opening to the steps and that thelowering of the shutter E upon the horizontal upper end of the curvedkrod F5 will force said rod downward and that in its downward movementwill operate the crank arm F4 to automatically close the step into afolded position.

What I claim to be new is 1. In combination with a car, a pivotal angledgravity step pivoted to the platform, means for limiting the downwardthrow of said step, a rod pivoted to the step, and a pivotal trap dooradapted to engage the end of said rod and hold the step folded.

2. In combination with a car, a step having pintles projectingtherefrom, bracket arms secured to the platform and in which saidpintles are pivotally mounted, a right angled projection for said stepadapted to contact with the rear edges of said bracket arms to limit theouter throw of the step, a rod connected to one of said pintles, and ahinged trap door adapted to bear against the end of said rod to hold thestep folded.

3. In combination with a car, a step having pintles projectingtherefrom, bracket arms secured to the platform and in which saidpintles are pivotally mounted, a right angled projection for said stepadapted to contact with the rear 4edges of said bracket arms to limitthe outer throw of the step, a crank arm fixed to one of said pintles, arod pivoted to said crank arm and having a free angled end, a trap doorhinged upon the platform and adapted to engage the freeV end of said rodto normally hold the step folded.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aiiiX my Y

